Naturalized citizens explain why they're American by choice

Immigrants take the Oath of Allegiance during a naturalization ceremony in Atlanta to officially become U.S. citizens.

Story highlights

This July Fourth, we ask naturalized citizens why they chose to become Americans

Some wanted a better education or career opportunities

Others needed to escape political or economic turmoil

See the process of naturalization through the eyes of immigrants

The atmosphere is hushed and quiet as about 150 people take their seats. They're each clutching a folder and a tiny American flag. A few whisper about being nervous, but can't quite articulate why. It's the ubiquitous butterflies in the stomach that seem to come with any big day, any big decision.

As big days go, this is one of the biggest. All these people are about to become citizens of the United States. They'll gain the right to vote, to work certain jobs, to serve on a jury and to run for office. In about an hour, at the end of their citizenship ceremony in Atlanta, they'll officially be American by choice.

Jutka Emoke Barabas remembers that jittery feeling well. She was naturalized in 2000 in Honolulu, where she still lives, and is one of several CNN iReporters who spoke about why they chose to become American citizens. "Everyone arrived too early and we found ourselves standing and waiting, hardly able to contain our excitement," she said. "Everyone seemed to speak at the same time as they shared their stories with one another." There was a soldier from Cambodia, and Emoke Barabas herself, a political refugee from Hungary.

Jutka Emoke Barabas smiles for the camera at her naturalization ceremony in Honolulu in 2000.

As a writer with dissenting views, Emoke Barabas said she had been thrown in a Romanian prison under former dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Her father showed her a photo of the Statue of Liberty, telling her, "This is the place where freedom lives." After her release, she said she made it to Switzerland and, eventually, to the United States in 1990. Ten years later, she became a U.S. citizen.

"For me, American citizenship means freedom of expression and to live and work in a free country ... and not have to be afraid of being arrested or harassed because of owning certain common books or pictures," said Emoke Barabas. She also feels a sense of responsibility to her adopted country. "To be an American is not just a great honor, but also an obligation to do more and reach higher."

It has been a long wait in the Atlanta heat for the immigrants waiting to be naturalized this morning. The first in line arrived around 8 a.m. for a ceremony that starts at 9:30. But this is just the last stretch of the years-long marathon that most of them have been through to become Americans. For most people, it takes at least five years to become a citizen, and that's after you already have a green card -- permanent residency status -- a process that can take years itself. Many people at the ceremony have been in the United States for 10 years or more. One woman moved here in 1978.

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Faces of citizenship – On June 29, 2012, in Atlanta, people from 54 countries became naturalized U.S. citizens. Read on to learn about their stories and what they think makes America exceptional. Among those naturalized were Denroy 'Peter' Willis of Jamaica, who came to America in 1992 and works at an auto dealership. "On the job, all the guys mess with me, joke with me about my speech and how I'm not American," he said. "When I go to work tomorrow, they can't say anything anymore. I'm an American."

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Faces of citizenship – "America is exceptional in many ways," said Ruth McNerney, a commercial engineer and medical interpreter from Santiago, Chile, "but what it does best is welcoming people from so many cultures, and being able to, with its laws and regulations, make it work with everyone who comes from overseas."

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Faces of citizenship – "Sometimes I remember, this is in my blood," said Eduardo Fraire-Contreras, who is of Mexican and Apache descent. "I remember the story of my people, of them fighting for land. You love the land you fight for. Now, it's my land, too."

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Faces of citizenship – Mary Acholonu left Nigeria in 1967 for the United States to pursue her education and get married. She says the United States is a haven for families and those in need of medical care. "I finally made up my mind [to become a citizen] because I love it here. America is a wonderful place."

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Faces of citizenship – What does being an American citizen mean? "The ability to change your life," said Javier Chavez, originally from Mexico. "It's easier to get somewhere else, if you want to go out of the country."

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Faces of citizenship – "I'm actually fond of American history. The presidents really inspire me," said Marcelo Painter of Sao Paulo, Brazil, who said he would like to run for Congress someday. "I love politics. I love to stand for what's right and fair for everybody." Until then, his most anticipated role as an American citizen is that of voter. "As long as I have a voice," he said, "there will be people who side with my ideas. Who will understand, and relate. And when there's more than one voice, you have a lot of power to do something."

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Faces of citizenship – "To tell the truth, I don't feel like I'm treated any differently. . . People tell me that I look like an American," said Jose Vitor Monteiro of Brazil who came with his daugher Maria. Now that he's a citizen, he says he feels like one, too. "I can walk every place and feel like I belong. This is the best." And while he's still unsure of his knowledge of American politics, he is considering exercising his rights. "Maybe I will vote! Because now, I am American."

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Faces of citizenship – "A lot of people come here because they want a better life, I came just for love," Teresa Marino of Brazil said of her 12-year journey to citizenship. "My story is a love story, and today is a very important day. [My husband] became an American citizen before me, and I'm becoming an American citizen for him and his kids."

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Faces of citizenship – What does Gina Torres bring to America? "I bring a person who wants to work and move forward, a free spirit who doesn't stay in one place and can overcome difficulties," said Torres, who came to the United States from Colombia 10 years ago to fulfill her dream of studying architecture. "America was really far away. I was so far away I never thought I'd have the opportunity to come until my mom moved and brought me here. It was Disneyland everywhere for me. Everything seemed so organized and perfect. It's not like I don't love where I come from, but it is a different picture here."

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Faces of citizenship – While she's nervous about starting life as an American, Kristina Arnaoutova, formerly of Obninsk, Russia, said the American people's welcoming attitude will help her adapt to her new country. "I feel more positivity and optimism here. America is all about immigration, too. Two hundred years ago, people came from Europe, it's all immigrants. It's just a difference of time."

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Faces of citizenship – "I want to be legal in this country for my rights, but I'm doing this for my wife and two kids," said Jaime Burgos, who came from Honduras and has been supporting his family in America for 14 years. "You can get everything here. In my country, it's poor. Over there, the criminal situation is horrible. Here, we have security. I feel safe."

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EXPAND GALLERY

Mario Imania knows how she feels. It took him 17 years to become a citizen. He came to the United States from Bolivia in 1988 for school and wasn't naturalized until 2005.

"I'm thankful for the opportunity to stay, study and work [in the U.S.], but it was not free by any means," said Imania. "The process was a nightmare that never ended: thousands of dollars and many years of fear and hopelessness."

Would he do it again? Yes, he said. Even though the United States didn't quite live up to all his expectations -- he feels society judges him based on "race, color, origin, looks and, yes, marital status" (Imania is gay) -- he still said, "I love you United States. You're home at the end."

It's almost time. Friends and family start to stream in to the ceremony room -- they had to wait until all the candidates for citizenship were seated -- and the atmosphere relaxes a little. There are waves and smiles, a few excited babies and children. The room is now full with the candidates and their loved ones. The cameras start to come out.

Roland Tadoum is one of those who clicked his camera all during his naturalization ceremony, too. He became a citizen in 2007, having moved to the United States from Cameroon 13 years earlier.

"I'd just graduated from high school, the political situation in Cameroon was evolving into a multiparty system, the country's currency had been devalued, the banks were failing, unemployment was at its highest, university officials and professors were constantly on strike," he said. "It was a simple decision."

Once in the United States, Tadoum earned his B.S. in computer science and went on to get an MBA. Today, he's a senior project manager for a large health care company.

Roland Tadoum poses with a volunteer after receiving his certificate of naturalization in 2007.

"I don't know if my achievement could be reversed for an American moving to Cameroon," said Tadoum.

Three officials approach the podium and the ceremony begins. Lights are dimmed, and the audience rises as a recording of the national anthem comes over the speakers.

The officials say 54 countries are represented in today's naturalization ceremony. They list each one, asking the people from said country to rise, and every nationality mentioned is met with applause. Brazil, Ghana, Iran and South Korea get the loudest cheers. Everyone is standing now, all their countries' names having been listed.

The time has come. "Ladies and gentlemen, please raise your right hand."

Cameras flash, phones shoot video. Friends and family of the naturalization candidates surround them in the room, capturing the oath of citizenship. They finally finish the lengthy oath and there are claps and cheers. They are now Americans, citizens of the United States. Many are holding and waving their little American flags. Now it's time to say the Pledge of Allegiance. They stand with their hands over their hearts and face the flag.

"Pledging allegiance to the flag was one of the proudest moments of my life," remembers Stephen Park, who attended his own naturalization ceremony in 2005. Originally from Scotland, he moved to the States to be with his wife, who is from Chicago. The pair met online and decided to build their new life together in the United States.

Park had a green card, "but that wasn't enough for me," he decided. "I believe strongly in the Constitution of this country and just having the right to work here wasn't enough. I wanted the right to vote and I wanted the right to call myself American."

"No other country gives you the right to pursue happiness, and that is the right that I have grabbed firmly with both hands," Park said. "A lot of people complain about this country ... but try living elsewhere without all the rights that you take for granted. In some ways, we immigrants are the lucky ones; we see more clearly the opportunities that this great nation affords all its people."

The citizenship ceremony only takes about 40 minutes in total. The new citizens grin as they are each handed their certificate of naturalization.

Most stick around to take photos in front of the large American flag next to the podium, or a portrait of President Obama that is hanging on the wall. They proudly display their certificates of naturalization and wave their flags for the camera. They're Americans now -- Americans by choice.